Waiting for the big night: A final update from all the artists

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eurovision.tv

Posted 14 May, 2011, 18:48

Read the final update from all the artists below, in the same order as they will be performing tonight.
Finland: Paradise Oskar
"I don't think my genre is about being the best, it's rather about submitting an emotion in the right way. I will probably do something similar to the Semi-Final in the Final, but I will take on the emotions in the hall at the time and go with the flow."
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dino Merlin
"I was afraid in the Semi-Final. Just when I started to sing, the audience started to clap, and I only had one in-ear. It was so hard to stay in the beat! For the Final, I'm going to use two in-ears."
Denmark: A Friend In London
Lead singer Tim Schou: "I'm getting into the zone for the Final by watching the TV series Entourage and reading a lot of Donald Duck comics, or Anders And as they are called in Danish..."
Lithuania: Evelina Sašenko
"I was very happy to go through to the Final, I didn't think I would. The Eurovision Song Contest is getting more about the show and circus and less about the songs, but somehow, my Semi-Final proved that they still love songs here and that this stays a song contest."
Hungary: Kati Wolf
"That we advanced from the Semi-Final shows that people liked our song even when hearing it the first time. I have prepared for the Final by sleeping a lot and eating a lot, and also with a lot of rehearsing."
Ireland: Jedward
"We're doing flips on stage, it's cool! On stage, we've done 16 front flips, and the most cartwheels is like 26!"
Sweden: Eric Saade
"The starting position 7 feels good. The Irish are right before me in the running order, and that makes us the ones closing that energetic block. I think they would also have preferred to be the last of the two of us."
Estonia: Getter Jaani
"I have no words for how I felt on stage in the Semi-Final. So much energy, and we just had fun. I will practise even more to make it better in the Final, and also just have a good time. Of course, it's possible for me to do it better."
Greece: Loucas Yiorkas feat. Stereo Mike
Lead singer Loucas Yiorkas: "We feel the power to give our soul during the three minutes on stage, we hope to feel good afterwards."
Russia: Alexej Vorobjov
"I love audiences rather than rehearsals. After the performance in the Semi-Final, I even ran out to the crowd and spoke briefly to the fans!"
France: Amaury Vassili
"Everything was very complicated in the preparations. But when I'm on stage, it's very simple."
Italy: Raphael Gualazzi
"I'm happy to be here, and I think Italy is happy to attend this big a festival, and one this important for the musical panorama in Europe."
Switzerland: Anna Rossinelli
"It's amazing that Switzerland finally made it to the Final, we haven't for so many years. I hoped to go through, it felt good on stage in the Semi-Final."
United Kingdom: Blue
"We're not Backstreet Boys or N'Sync, those boybands who can lock and pop and all that, but we like to have a little bit of movement. We're just like most guys, moving along to the music."
Moldova: Zdob și Zdub
"We'll try to be more concentrated and at the same time relaxed than in the Semi-Final in the Final. The Final is very strong, but we hope for the same luck there."
Germany: Lena
"When I'm on stage, I'm thinking of the song, nothing else. You're just hearing the music in the in-ears, nothing else, and you can only see the stage and the audience. So I don't know, it's a stage thing."
Romania: Hotel FM
Lead singer David Bryan: "We have a perfect starting number, just in the middle, when everyone's already warmed up. We're gonna do the best we can and get the best result we can. The aim is number one, but in the end of the day, we're all winners. As long as it's in the top ten, it's gonna be a good one. We're gonna make it!"
Austria: Nadine Beiler
"I met the Croatian singer Daria, and she told me that she is from Austria, and the Bulgarian song is from an Austrian producer and songwriter, so Austria is really back in the Contest."
Azerbaijan: Ell/Nikki
Ell: "This is a dream I've always had in my life, and right now, it's coming true. Sometimes, I can't believe that I'm here and is taking part in this great show. I feel like it's not me up there, it's someone else singing on the screen."
Slovenia: Maja Keuc
"It wasn't as I imagined standing on stage. We haven't been in the Final since 2007. We died in the greenroom at the Semi-Final, we were so happy! Our country is really small, and people are negative about a lot of things. They had lost their faith. This means a lot to Slovenia. I'm so happy for having given that to them, and I'm only 19. Even though I might look calm, I'm pretty nervous when I start to sing. But then, it just comes out. I'm forgetting everything and I'm just singing the song."

Maja's backing singer Martina Majerle: "This is my fifth time in the Eurovision Song Contest. I was a backing singer for Croatia in 2003, Slovenia 2007 and Montenegro 2008. In 2009, I was a guest lead singer in Slovenia's act with Quartissimo. The Croatians also wanted me to sing backing this year, but I felt that I was finished with the Contest. But then, the Slovenians insisted so much, also from the author of the song, and eventually I accepted. I really like this contest and the people here, and the conditions with the sound and the stage is so great. We don't have anything like this in my home country Croatia."
Iceland: Sjonni's Friends
Regarding the late songwriter Sjonni: "Our performance in the Semi-Final was very emotional. To go through to the Final meant so much, and we were all crying on stage. We miss our friend very much, and the song reminds us of him. And every time we have won or something, we get kind of a breakdown. For the Final, we don't know what will happen, we'll just have to see."
Spain: Lucía Pérez
"While the rest of the countries have been rehearsing and trying to proceed from the Semi-Finals, we have kept on rehearsing and doing our own stuff, so it's not that we have been waiting. Of course, for the last rehearsals, we have had to be ready and have only had room for some final touches."
Ukraine: Mika Newton
"I've been in Düsseldorf once before. It's a very modern city with good shopping and stylish people. I really love Germany. Mika Newton is a stage name. In Ukrainian, it's not common to have an English sounding name. 'Mika' is from Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, and Newton is a pun on new tone."
Serbia: Nina
"I don't know what made me go through to the Final, perhaps it was everything combined. The stars, the girls, me, and the song. It was really magical in the Semi-Final."
Georgia: Eldrine
Lead singer Sophio: "We hoped to go to the Final and did our best, but on stage, we're just enjoying the show and the audience. The energy of the audience is awesome here."